Airbags are occupant restraining devices, which typically include a flexible envelope or “bag” that is designed to inflate rapidly during a collision in order to prevent the vehicle's occupants from striking interior objects located in front of (or, in some cases, on the side of) the occupant. In automobiles, airbags are designed to prevent occupants from striking the steering wheel, the vehicle door, a window, or any other interior objects. In aircraft, airbags are designed to prevent passengers from striking the seat in front each passenger, the tray tables, a window, or any other interior objects. Airbags on passenger rail cars (such as trains, monorails, trolleys), motorcycles, and other passenger transport vehicles work similarly.
Most aircraft provide airbags either positioned in the back of each seat (so as to deploy for the passenger sitting behind that seat) or in the seat belts. Passengers sitting in the front seat or bulkhead in the aircraft do not have a seat in front of them, so in this instance, it is particularly necessary or useful to position the airbag in the passenger seat belt.
Providing passenger airbags incorporated into every seat or every seat belt (as opposed to the back of the seat in front) can ease manufacture and implementation. This can be particularly beneficial on an aircraft or other passenger transport vehicles, where a number of seats are positioned in rows. As opposed to airbags installed on a seat in front of each passenger or other location, installing one or more airbags in conjunction with each seat is more seamless for integration. This way, each seat has an airbag associated therewith, regardless of how the seats are arranged in the aircraft.
However, airbags that are incorporated into seatbelts can be uncomfortable due to the weight and bulkiness of the airbag material. Airbags in seat belts are also not particularly stable. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an airbag that is integrated into or otherwise associated with each seat, but that avoids integrating the airbag directly into the seat belt itself.